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NEW DAY SUNDAY

MH370: New Metal Object Found on Beach; Memphis Manhunt for A Cop Killer; Christie: Trump Will Determine If He's a Serious Candidate. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired August 2, 2015 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[08:00:00] CHRIS PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: And thank you for starting your morning with us.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Your NEW DAY continues right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

PAUL: So glad to have you with us as always. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: And I'm Victor Blackwell.

And we're starting with the breaking news. Investigation into the Flight 370.

Take a look at this. Police are calling this a metal object of interest. That's as specific as they're being right now. This is part of the search for anything that may remain of that missing aircraft. It's just twisted metal here. Found today on the beach on Reunion Island in the West Indian Ocean.

PAUL: But here's the thing. This comes as another piece of debris. A part of a plane wing, a flaperon as it's called, has now been officially identified as coming from a Boeing 777. That's the same type of aircraft of Flight 370 which, of course, vanished last year with 239 people aboard. Again, they're not confirming it was Flight 370 but it was from the same kind of plane.

This debris, as I said, called the flaperon, and it's now at a high tech government lab in Toulouse, France.

BLACKWELL: All right. So, we've got CNN's Saima Mohsin in Toulouse. Also joining us, aviation expert Julian Bray, CNN contributor with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, David Gallo.

We're going to begin, though, with CNN's Erin McLaughlin live on Reunion Island.

Tell us more about this metal object and where it is now. Who has it?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Victor. Well, authorities are being tight lipped in terms of next steps, but they certainly took the report of this object seriously. This morning, some eight police officers out on the beach not far from here to collect it, some 13 miles from where the original flaperon was found. A photo that was released by AFP news agency shows a twisted piece of

metal with Chinese characters seem to be could be some sort of branding signature on it. So, authorities looking at it, analyzing it, but beyond that being very tight lipped. They're not speculating as to whether or not it could be a plane part or if it's, in fact, suspected of being a part of MH370.

Worth, of course, noting, Victor, that this is a tiny island surrounded by a very big ocean. Lots of plane debris out there. Lots of room for false alarms.

PAUL: Yes, very good point to make. Erin McLaughlin, we appreciate it. Thank you.

Now, the investigation is focusing, as we mentioned, on the debris in Toulouse, France.

CNN's Saima Mohsin is there.

Saima, we know that Malaysia's transport ministry saying today this debris is, indeed, from a Boeing 777. No questions?

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. But everyone involved in this investigation and analysis have confirmed that it is from a 777 aircraft. But, Christi, that's not to say that it is definitely from MH370.

And this is the lab that I'm at here in Toulouse in the south of France, the DGA. It's run by the French minister of defense where those false alarms that Erin mentioned should be cleared.

So, they've said that it is from a 777 aircraft. They haven't said it's from MH370. Now, what will happen now is members of these bodies, the United States, NTSB, Malaysian officials and we're told now Chinese officials, too, joining this group, and the French authorities will come to this lab, and they're saying that they'll meet on Monday, but they won't start analyzing until Wednesday. I imagine the scientists will be here first thing Monday morning, running the tests they need to.

And then the senior officials will come and take a look and hopefully confirm or deny what we need to know. That is, is it from MH370?

And what exactly happened to it? Because this is the plane with the right technology, Christi, to tell us potentially what happened to the aircraft. And that's because they'll look in detail to that flaperon. See how it came away from the aircraft. We've been discussing, haven't we, over the last few days, did it come away in midair. Did it come away when it hit the sea?

And another thing I want to share with you, Christi, is the other piece that was found, the other piece of debris that's been flown in to France. It isn't here. It's at the Criminal Research Institute, just outside Paris, Pontoise. That's where the national police will analyze it. It's believed to be a piece of suitcase. And of course, once you find

one piece and another, the hope is that somehow you'll find the rest of the plane. But the deputy prime minister of Australia, Warren Truss, in an interview with Australian media overnight said that he doesn't believe that it is from MH370. And the reason he's giving is that it doesn't have any marine life growing on it.

Well, whether that is definitive or not, it's not. But, of course, we, like the family members of the passengers on board flight MH370, are holding on to every piece of information.

[08:05:07] And we'll try to bring you the very latest when we get them -- Christi.

PAUL: Yes, very good point. And just to clarify, referring to the suitcase he does not believe is part of MH370.

Thank you so much, Saima Mohsin. We so appreciate it.

BLACKWELL: All right. Let's bring in CNN analyst David Gallo and aviation analyst Julian Bray.

We heard from Saima that there's an expert who does not believe that piece of the suitcase is part of MH370 because there's a lack of marine life.

David, first to you. We've got this picture of a piece of metal that was discovered on the beach this morning. Let's go to that piece. Let's put that on-screen. No marine life here, either, David.

DAVID GALLO, CNN ANALYST: Right, looks like a brand-new piece of crumbled metal. And, you know, every day, Victor, on every beach, things like that wash up. And I was looking at the fasteners on that. And to me, it looks like it's got a handle like it's some sort of cooking implement. I can't get a good handle on scale, but it's all going to be found out fairly soon. That much we know.

BLACKWELL: Are you leaning one way or the other considering what you're seeing versus the condition that that flaperon was in when it was discovered, on if this could have been in the water for nearly a year and a half?

GALLO: It doesn't look like that piece, this new crumpled bit had been in the water very long at all. So you know, until they actually take it and look at it in the lab, we'll have to stick with that for now.

BLACKWELL: Julian, to you, you now have this image. You've seen it. We've had it this morning, your thoughts on this piece of metal, this object of interest that's washed ashore.

JULIAN BRAY, AVIATION ANALSYT: Well, in the interest of justice, I did cheat a little bit and rang up my local Chinese and he reckons it's probably a rice cooker or a milk churn, which has a handle and it goes over the top of the round top. So, he wasn't able to -- I wasn't able to show him the Chinese characters on it, but he did say that the actual fixing looked quite crude, and I must admit the rivets doesn't look like aviation craft standard to me.

So, it's not a precision piece of welding, or fixing. So milk churn would be my take on it.

BLACKWELL: So, in your opinion, likely not from MH370. But, Julian, it's important to say that not every piece and in some cases maybe the most important pieces here will not be the size of a flaperon that requires several men to carry it. They may be these very small pieces that could hold the key to this investigation.

BRAY: You are so right, because every bit has some sort of forensic value. And so, they are appealing to anybody who's going beach combing, and picking up pieces of whatever on the beach to have a think, and if you think it could possibly be from the 777 or something like it, then hand it in. Let's get it examined, because the more the merrier, because if we can actually find and build up a pattern of all this debris we might actually get on very quickly with this investigation. Which, of course, is going to start on Wednesday, and it will actually have magistrates sitting in on it, because it is a criminal investigation inside France.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

David, finally and quickly to you. This part of the investigation is limited to those elements that will float, and wash ashore. There's a great deal that is likely at the bottom of the ocean.

GALLO: That's right. In fact, with Air France 447, I went -- looked back at the final report, and many of the pieces that were floating were things like the flaperon were found floating. And there was a lot of debris found in that case.

But, yes, the important bits, the black boxes, especially, are probably sitting somewhere in the bottom of the Indian ocean, and it's up to that team, the Australian controlled team, to find those two items.

BLACKWELL: All right. David Gallo, Julian Bray, thanks for your insight.

BRAY: Thank you.

PAUL: Thank you, gentlemen.

Another breaking story, a manhunt for the gunman who shot and killed a Memphis police officer during a traffic stop overnight. We have an update on that search.

Stay close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:13:07] PAUL: Twelve minutes past the hour.

And we want to get you updated on our other breaking news story. A police officer shot and killed during a routine traffic stop in Memphis overnight. It happened late last night in the southeastern part of the city, we're told.

This is how a woman who lived near the scene described what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Heard it, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. It felt like everything happened within like five minutes. It shakes you to your soul that this happened. You know, to someone. And that his last moments were next door to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: The police are scouring the city right now, trying to find this person who shot and killed that man you see there, Officer Sean Bolton.

Nick Valencia is following this story.

And, Nick, I know you've been talking to folks there all morning. What have you heard?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We just got off the phone with the Memphis police department homicide division. They say they're expecting to have an update about this investigation into a couple of hours. Yesterday, the city's mayor addressing the public, saying this really underscores the danger of police officers' work.

As you mentioned, Christi, an active search under way right now for the man or woman, person, who murdered this police officer overnight, 33-year-old Shane Bolton, shot multiple times during a traffic stop. It is reported that a citizen used that officer's radio to phone in to police to let them know that one of their own had been shot.

Yesterday at a press conference, a visibly emotional police director and city mayor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR A.C. WHARTON, JR., MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: This again, evidences the fact that there are so many guns on our streets, in the wrong hands. That's the key thing. And men and women in blue have certain rules of engagement that they have to follow. But at any given minute, in a 24-hour day, they're dealing with folks who have no rules of engagement.

[08:15:00] TONEY ARMSTRONG, MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT: As a community we say so often there's a theme that do black lives matter? And at the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves, do all lives matter regardless of race, creed, color, economic status, what profession that person holds, all lives matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: You heard there from the city's mayor who took the moment to address a rising gun violence in the city.

This is the third police officer shot in Memphis in the last four years -- Christi.

PAUL: I cannot imagine what they are going through.

Nick Valencia, appreciate the update. Thank you.

VALENCIA: You bet.

BLACKWELL: It's going to be a big week for the GOP candidates for president. And our own Jake Tapper, host of CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION", spoke with one of them, more than one of them. But we're starting with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: All right. We're just two days away from finding out who will be in this first GOP debate. And one of the candidates jockeying for a position there is Governor Chris Christie.

And ahead of the debate, Christie sat down with CNN's Jake Tapper, host of "STATE OF THE UNION."

[08:20:02] Jake joins us now with more.

So, Jake, good morning, what did you talk about?

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Well, we talked about any number of things. And we'll be talking to Christie, and also Senator Rand Paul coming up on "STATE OF THE UNION."

But one of the things that's interesting is the other Republican candidates trying to explain why Donald Trump is doing so well in the polls. Rand Paul was asked about it, and he had a rather choice quote.

So, I asked Chris Christie if he agreed. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Rand Paul was recently asked about the fact that Trump is ahead in polls. And Rand Paul wrote, "I think this is a temporary sort of loss of sanity," but we're going to come back to our senses and look for somebody serious to lead the country at some point."

Do you think Dr. Paul is diagnosing the problem correctly?

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ), 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, I don't. Listen, I think that Donald is going to be as serious a candidate as Donald wants to be. He's going to determine through the depth of his answers and the seriousness of his answers, whether he's a serious candidate or he isn't. That's what I mean by campaigns matter.

Anybody can do well for a month in this business, especially if you have talent and you have personality. Donald has both of those things. So, let's see how it goes over the course of time. I think Dr. Paul's diagnosis is premature.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Other Republican candidates such as Jeb Bush, Victor, have said that the electorate is angry and with good reason. Rand Paul suggesting it's temporary insanity. Chris Christie has much more coming up, as does Rand Paul on "STATE OF THE UNION."

BLACKWELL: All right. Looking forward to it. Jake Tapper, thank you so much.

TAPPER: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: And "STATE OF THE UNION" with Jake Tapper starts at the top of the hour, 9:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:25:41] PAUL: So if you are a sport fan and maybe enjoy a fine glass of wine, Raleigh, North Carolina, may be the place for you. Country music star and "American Idol" winner Scottie McCrery shows us the best places to eat and play in this travel insider.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTTY MCCREERY, SINGER: Hey, you all. It's Scotty McCreery here in my city, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Let's start off here, Pullen Park.

One ticket for the carousel please?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming right up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This carousel dates back to 1911. The carousel has 52 animals. They're all hand carved.

MCCREERY: I'm a little big for this I think.

Beautiful.

In North Carolina we have a very rich sports history, so what better place to go in downtown Raleigh than the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of the biggest displays we have, Michael Jordan, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano and David Cox.

MCCREERY: But North Carolina is actually home to NASCAR. Here we have two of the greatest drivers ever in NASCAR: "The Intimidator", Dale Earnhardt. One of his driver's uniforms. And to my right Richard Petty, one of the cars he actually raced in back in the day.

And if you want a great bite to eat, you have to come to the Angus Barn. We're going to take you down to the wine cellar. They have wine in this room from all over the world and wines that range from $50 or this one at $16,000.

We're here in the Wild Turkey Lounge. Can you tell us about the lounge and the turkeys?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, these turkeys all used to hold wild turkey bourbon in them and we actually have the largest collection in the world. We have over 600.

MCCREERY: Goodness gracious.

Thank you all so much for joining me and I'm getting kind of hungry here so I'm going to grab a bite.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right. Coming up on the bottom of the hour now, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Cairo meeting with his Egyptian counterpart. He said the U.S. is committed to the security and the economic well-being of the Egyptian people, and it is important to continue the fight against terror for the stability of the Middle East.

PAUL: Family and friends of Bobbi Kristina Brown said their good-byes to the only child the late Whitney Houston and singer Bobby Brown. The funeral ceremony was held in Atlanta but it was not without drama after Brown's aunt came out of the ceremony and said she was kicked out of the funeral. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEOLAH BROWN, AUNT OF BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN: It went wonderful until Pat started speaking and I didn't like that.

REPORTER: What did you say?

BROWN: I just told her that Whitney was going to haunt her from the grave.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Not much. She's not saying anything. I really don't know what she's saying.

REPORTER: How was Krissy remembered?

BROWN: Krissy, she'll be remembered in our hearts forever, just like Whitney will. OK, I really love my niece and I'm so sadden that this happened to her right after her mother.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Meanwhile, noticeably absent from the services brown's partner currently facing a civil lawsuit alleging that he stole money from Brown's bank account.

BLACKWELL: The Hall of Fame controversy surrounding Junior Seau has been resolved. His daughter Sydney will be allowed to speak at her father's induction ceremony next Saturday. The NFL first told the family no because of a league policy. Seau took his life in 2012. His family is suing the NFL saying he suffered brain damage because of too many concussions.

PAUL: And, you know what it took less than a minute oh, what a fight! MMA star Ronda Rousey destroyed Bethe Correia in a 34 second grudge match, 34 seconds, knocking out opponent last night. She said she's also saying good-bye to one hated rival.

BLACKWELL: Hmm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONDA ROUSEY, MMA FIGHTER: I consider the matter settled. In that I'm not going to have to think about her ever again after this day. And I'm sure she'll have to think about me plenty. And so, as far as I'm concerned it's over and done with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Last night's match marked the 12th straight win for Rousey,which means she keeps her bantamweight title.

BLACKWELL: Wow.

PAUL: Don't blink you might miss it.

BLACKWELL: Just seconds and it's over.

PAUL: I know. I know.

Hey, make some great memories today. Thanks for sharing your morning with us.

BLACKWELL: "INSIDE POLITICS" with John King starts right now.